“What would happen if my pet bit someone?” or “What would happen if I got bit by someone else’s pet?” may be questions that have crossed your mind a few times. In the way of insurance the answer is that animal bites may or may not be covered.
A lot of homeowners insurance will cover liability arising out of dog bites that occur on the owner’s property. A lot of policies decrease coverage as you leave your property though. One example would be the exclusion of injuries connected to vehicles. So if your dog bit someone through a car window it wouldn’t be covered under the homeowners policy. However, the auto policy might cover that. A general rule is that insurance companies will only cover the first incident though. If an animal is a repeat offender then the owner might need to seek out specialty animal insurance.
Even if the animal bite isn’t covered under insurance, you can still be held liable as the owner or hold someone else liable as the victim. Depending on the situation, you might not want to have to pay for the medical costs resulting from a dog bite on your own.
“Animal Bites: Who Pays Damages? – FindLaw.” Findlaw. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 July 2015.
